Vape Coils 101: A Beginner's Guide to Vape Coils

Sep 23, 2016

An important part of vape mods is the atomiser or clearomizer. It's where your vapour is produced.

Inside the atomiser compartment is a small heating coil. Above the atomiser coils is a wick which extends into the cartridge and draws the e-liquid to the heating coil creating vapor. While there are some differences in flavor and vapor production coil heads all essentially work the same way.

Basically there are 2 types of vape coils: Top Coil which is replaced on the top of the clearomiser and bottom coil which is replaced from the bottom of the clearomiser. Your coil will vary depending on your clearomizer of choice.

You can purchase premade coils but some vapers are now choosing to build their own. If you do decide to try your hand at rebuildables, there are a few important things to note.

Remember with vaping mods it's safety first. It’s important to know the limitations of your battery and device.

Use Ohm’s Law to determine how much current you will draw through the coil.

Test your coil before you use it.

Wire and Wick Types for Your Coil

There are 5 different types of wire used to build coils. Which you choose is based on personal preference:

Kanthal - The most user-friendly and inexpensive choice, especially for beginners. Its elasticity and durability make it easy to twist. Kanthal should only be used in wattage mode.

NiChrome – Heats up faster than Kanthal which provides more flavor from your e-liquid. NiChrome should only be used in wattage mode.

Ni200 (Nickel Wire) - Has almost zero resistance to electric current, making it the fastest heating. Ni200 should not use if you have an allergy to nickel. Ni200 can be used for wattage because it’s prone to overheating.

Titanium – Heats up and cools down quickly providing the best flavour. (Many manufacturers are choosing Titanium as one of their choices for their pre-built coils.) Titanium can be used in temperature control and wattage modes but works better in dedicated TC.

Stainless Steel - Heats up and cools down quickly. Easy to clean and lasts the longest. Stainless Steel can be used in wattage mode and temperature control modes.

Some of the more common materials used for wick are:

Silica - The cheapest and most readily available wick material. Silica is glass so it won’t ignite but takes a while to heat. It may fray so it can be difficult to thread into coils.

Ekowool - A brand of silica using braided construction so it’s more resistant to fraying. Ekowool is much more expensive than silica.

Cotton – Is inexpensive and provides excellent flavour. It’s important not to let a cotton wick go dry or you will encounter a burnt taste and the wick will need to be replaced.

Common Problems with Your Coil

There are a few safeguards you can take to avoid problems with your coil:

Test your coil before you use it. The wrong voltage or wattage can cause your coil to pop.

Avoid chain vaping. It’s important to allow your coil to cool before refiring.

Use a lower VG (Vegetable Glycerin) content in your liquid. A higher VG content will make the e-liquid thicker and the wick may not fully saturate.

Ensure your seals (O-rings) are tight to avoid leaking.

Making Your Coils Last Longer

You can make your coils last longer with a few simple steps:

Replace or clean your coil when needed.

Make sure your wick is fully saturated by letting it absorb the e-liquid for 5 minutes and taking a few dry hits.

Break in your coil with a few shorter hits and lower temperature to start.